Cibola couple faces 66 counts in poaching case

By Jim Maniaci
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — In one of the biggest grand jury indictments ever issued in the 13th Judicial District and one of the largest poaching cases in New Mexico history a couple from the far eastern portion of Cibola County was indicted on a total of 66 counts of racketeering, conspiracy, forgery, fraud, tax evasion and embezzlement, District Attorney Lemuel Martinez announced Thursday morning.

The couple is accused of using its company, Non-Typical Outfitters, to commit the alleged crimes between Jan. 1, 2002, and Dec. 31, 2004, according to the indictment. The first count is racketeering.

The racketeering charges are 2nd-degree felonies, as are the conspiracy to commit racketeering charges. The fraud of more than $2,500 and forgery charges are 3rd-degree felonies and the frauds of less than $2,500 and embezzlements are 4th-degree felonies.

According to the new Mexico Game-Fish Department, the couple allegedly forged hunting licenses and hunters' signatures, arranged and conducted illegal hunts, then failed to report gross receipts from 2002 to 2004.

The extensive lists of charges 52 felonies against Adrian Romero, 33, and 14 felonies against his wife, Henrietta Romero, 33, both of Marquez culminated an 18-month joint investigation by the New Mexico Game-Fish, Tax Fraud Investigations Division of the state Taxation-Revenue and State Police Departments in conjunction with Martinez's Cibola County office. Randy Collins, the Deputy DA in charge of the Cibola County office, presented the case to the grand jury Wednesday.

According to the Game-Fish Department, the Romeros face maximum penalties. If they are convicted and the sentences run consecutively instead of concurrently, they would receive a total of two centuries behind bars.

"This is a critical case because, number one, we have to preserve the integrity of our licensing system. It is critical licenses be issued by the state in a legitimate manner and not by private parties in an illegitimate manner," Martinez said.

"Number two, it is critical that we preserve the integrity of our herds. If we have private people issuing licenses, the state won't have an idea of the number of animals being taken," the district attorney continued.

"Number three, it is critical that we send a message: People who do this will be prosecuted. It hurts hunting and the game without it (the number taken) being recorded. We must try to preserve the integrity of the outfitting system as well," Martinez commented.

The district attorney concluded, "We hope by prosecuting this case vigorously, we will be sending a message to others who might be considering this kind of activity. We need to do everything we can to protect the integrity of our elk herd and our legitimate outfitters."

Leo Sims, chair of the state Game-Fish Commission, pointed to a recent study which showed wildlife-associated recreation is a $1 billion a year industry in New Mexico, including some $127 million annually from outfitting and guide companies.

Echoing Martinez, Sims commented, "We need to send a strong message that we will not tolerate people who steal our resources and illegally profit from our wildlife. It's time for poachers to step up and pay more than honest citizens pay to hunt and fish legally."

"This case is an example of how (our bureau) is partnering with other agencies in investigations that involve unreported income, legal or illegal. Often we can come up with substantial charges and help tie up cases financially. In this case, we are confident we have strong enough evidence to be successful in court," the tax fraud bureau director, Alvan Romero, said.

Game and Fish Department Director Bruce Thompson encouraged every person who knows about a poaching incident to telephone the toll-free hotline, "Operation Game Thief," at 1-800-432-4263.

Callers can remain anonymous and are eligible for a reward if charges are filed. Thompson said that in response to the damage by illegal hunters to both rural economies and wildlife, a special anti-poaching team was established, with the support of the governor and legislature.

— To contact reporter Jim Maniaci in Grants, telephone 285-6194 or (505) 870-7775 (cellular).